Feel awful posting this but am in a bit of a bind. As usual, only have self to blame so am thickening my skin as I type but here is the situation:
Due to fly next Friday to stay with my friend, who is very caring and helpful but often in an unsolicited and overbearing sort of way. She likes to take charge, I'm very laid back and in short doses this works well. However, as we now live in different countries, physical time spent together tends to be a couple of days at least and in our homes where there is little or no chance of escape and the pressure quickly builds. Unfortunately I seem to be the only one of the pair of us to realise and remember this - she looks back with amusement at some of our worst fallings out where I border on post-traumatic stress just thinking about it.
Last time this friend stayed with me and I'd been reduced to private tears for about the 8th time that day I knew it was time to talk to her about her constant criticism and then she burst into tears and wailed 'how can you be so intolerant?'
Last night, when I found myself idly wondering whether my mum could time another stroke to coincide with the planned visit, thereby giving me the perfect reason to not go, I realised I had a Serious Problem. (Don't shoot me, I don't mean it about my mum . . .) What can I do? We are so compatible over the phone or for an evening out or something like that but throw us together under the same roof for more than a day and it's just awful. The plan is to do a 3 day workshop together, she is running it, and I Can't Go.